Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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METHOD AND APPARATUS PERTAINING
TO AN AUTOMATED CONSUMER-INTERACTION EXPERIENCE
Related Application(s)
[0001] This application claims benefit to U.S. provisional application
number 61/430,739
filed January 7, 2011, and is related to co-pending and co-owned U.S. patent
application number
12/759,189, entitled Display-Based Vending Apparatus and Method and filed
April 13, 2010,
both of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein.
Technical Field
[0002] This invention relates generally to vending machines.
Background
[0003] Automated-consumer experiences are known in the art. Automated
teller
machines, for example, permit a consumer to withdraw money from (or deposit
money to) their
bank accounts without interacting (at least in real time) with a bank teller.
Vending machines, as
another example, permit a consumer to purchase and immediately receive a
particular
commodity without interacting with a counterpart person.
[0004] Although known approaches in these regards serve many useful
purposes, there
nevertheless remain numerous application settings where existing solutions are
simply
insufficient to facilitate an appropriate level of interaction and service.
This, in turn, leads to
under-served consumers and unleveraged opportunities for those seeking to
engage and influence
such consumers.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0005] The above needs are at least partially met through provision of
the method and
apparatus pertaining to an automated consumer-interaction experience described
in the following
detailed description, particularly when studied in conjunction with the
drawings, wherein:
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100061 FIG. 1 comprises a block diagram as configured in accordance with
various
embodiments of the invention;
100071 FIG. 2 comprises a schematic front-elevational view as configured
in accordance
with various embodiments of the invention;
100081 FIG. 3 comprises a schematic front-elevational view as configured
in accordance
with various embodiments of the invention;
[00091 FIG. 4 comprises a schematic front-elevational view as configured
in accordance
with various embodiments of the invention; and
100101 FIG. 5 comprises a schematic top-plan view as configured in
accordance with
various embodiments of the invention.
100111 Elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity
and have not
necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and/or relative
positioning of
some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other
elements to help to
improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also,
common but
well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially
feasible embodiment are
often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these
various embodiments of
the present invention. Certain actions and/or steps may be described or
depicted in a particular
order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such
specificity with
respect to sequence is not actually required. The terms and expressions used
herein have the
ordinary technical meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions by
persons skilled in the
technical field as set forth above except where different specific meanings
have otherwise been
set forth herein.
Detailed Description
[00121 Generally speaking, pursuant to these various embodiments, a
consumer-
interaction kiosk features one or more displays (which can comprise touch-
screen displays if
desired) and a control circuit that operably couples to that display (or
displays). Such a kiosk can
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be located, for example, proximal to or within a retail venue (such as, but
not limited to, a
grocery store or grocery department of a department or discount store). The
content displayed by
the kiosk can vary with the needs of the application setting but can include,
for example,
consumer-attraction content, information-gathering facilitation content,
delivered-information
content, entertainment content, and so forth. Such a kiosk can also be
configured, if desired, to
vend for-sale or free consumables (such as free product samples).
100131 By one approach, the aforementioned control circuit can be easily
and regularly
reprogrammed to accommodate new information, promotions, consumables, or the
like. If
desired, this control circuit can be coupled via one or more facilitating
networks (and/or direct
connections) to social-networking services, consumer end-user platforms (such
as so-called
Smartphones), one or more servers, databases, or the like as pertain to the
retail venue hosting
the kiosk, and so forth to thereby facilitate geographic and/or content-based
extensions of its
supported interactions.
100141 Pursuant to these teachings, such a kiosk can serve to introduce
consumers to new
opportunities and to further enrich and/or maintain a consumer's appreciation
of and relationship
with a given manufacturer and/or distributor. These teachings can also serve
to greatly leverage a
given consumer-interaction opportunity to deepen a consumer's awareness of the
sponsor's
product line and thereby encourage loyalty and product usage.
100151 These and other benefits may become clearer upon making a thorough
review and
study of the following detailed description. Referring now to the drawings,
and in particular to
FIG. I, an illustrative process that is compatible with many of these
teachings will now be
presented.
100161 In this illustrative example, the consumer-interaction kiosk
comprises a control
circuit that operatively couples to a memory and one or more displays. This
control circuit can
comprise a fixed-purpose platform (such as a so-called hard-wired platform) or
can comprise a
partially or wholly programmable platform. When programmable, the
aforementioned memory
can serve, at least in part, to contain some or all of the computer
instructions that, when executed
by the control circuit, effect one or more of the steps, actions, and/or
functions described herein.
The display can comprise, for example, a flat-screen display (either full-
color or monochromatic
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as desired) where the display is mounted on or within a kiosk housing so as to
be readily
viewable by a person of ordinary stature when standing. This might comprise,
by one approach,
configuring the display such that its longer dimension is vertically oriented.
100171 By one approach, one or more of the displays can comprise, in
whole or in part,
touch-screen displays. So configured, a consumer can input responses or other
instructions by
touching (or appearing to touch) the display. Various touch-screen
methodologies are known in
the art. As these teachings are not particularly sensitive to any particular
selections in these
regards, further elaboration here regarding such methodologies will not be
presented.
[00181 By one approach, the consumer-interaction kiosk can also comprise
one or more
audio drivers (and corresponding audio transducers) as desired. This can serve
to facilitate the
rendering of audio content, either in synchronicity with displayed content or
otherwise as
desired.
100191 By one approach, the aforementioned control circuit can also
operatively couple
to a vending interface or interfaces as desired. This vending interface can be
configured to
permit the kiosk to vend one or more items to a consumer on a for-sale basis
or, if desired, as a
free sample. When operating as a free-sample distribution platform, such a
kiosk can serve to
either complement other in-store sampling practices or compete and replace
such practices.
[00201 By one approach, the kiosk can be provisioned with only one
vendible
commodity. By another approach, the kiosk can be provisioned with a plurality
of different,
selectable vendible commodities. This can include edible items such as, but
not limited to,
wrapped (or unwrapped), shelf-stable or refrigerated (or even frozen) food
items). Such a kiosk
can also serve, if desired, to hold and selectively offer promotional premiums
in a controlled and
secure manner. So configured, both the storage of such premiums and their
manner of
distribution can be suitably controlled to help to ensure that the intentions
of the promotion are
met.
100211 The vendible-commodities storage area of the kiosk can be
configured as
appropriate to suit short or long-term storage of those commodities. For
example, by one
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approach, the storage area can be refrigerated and/or heated as desired and as
appropriate to the
retention of those commodities.
[0022] Also, as desired, such a kiosk can be configured to process a
vendible item prior
to vending that item to a consumer. This might comprise, for example,
selectively heating one or
more vendible items before providing that item to the consumer. As another
example in these
regards, such a kiosk can be configured to prepare and dispense beverages,
including free
samples that are prepared pursuant to a consumer's expressed individual
choices (regarding, for
example, such parameters as temperature, liquids, powders, flavors,
nutraceuticals, and so forth).
[00231 By one approach, the stocking of such a vending/sampling
capability (in
conjunction with selective corresponding re-skinning of the interface and/or
variations to the
substantive content being conveyed) can be coordinated with the enterprise
that physically hosts
the kiosk. For example, a grocery store that hosts such a machine could be
offered the
opportunity to move excess inventory via an in-store sampling offering.
[00241 When one or more of the vendible items is provided on a for-sale
basis, the kiosk
can further optionally comprise a point-of-sale (POS) interface that also
operably couples to the
control circuit. So configured, the point of sale interface can serve to
receive currency and/or
coins from the consumer and/or can be configured to receive and/or otherwise
read, for example,
a credit or debit card. Other point-of-sale interfaces are known in the art or
may be developed in
the future. As these teachings are not particularly sensitive to any
particular selection in these
regards, further elaboration will not be provided here.
[00251 These teachings will further accommodate operably coupling one or
more
cameras to the control circuit. These can comprise a video camera and/or a
still image camera.
The camera can be oriented such that its field of view is likely to include a
consumer (or
consumers) having a stature within an expected range of statures who is
positioned with respect
to the kiosk in a way that suggests a desire to interact with the kiosk.
[00261 By one approach, the control circuit can be configured to process
camera-captured
images in order to detect the presence of such a consumer. By another
approach, in lieu of the
foregoing or combined therewith, the kiosk can further include one or more
proximity sensors
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(such as, but not limited to, a passive-infrared (PIR) sensor) (not shown) to
thereby facilitate the
detection of an available consumer. This camera can have a fixed field of
view, if desired.
These teachings will also accommodate, however, having selectively adjustable
focus, pan, tilt,
and/or zoom. By one approach, such parameters can be automatically varied by
the control
circuit (or can comprise a native capability of the camera itself) to
facilitate best capturing the
consumer's visage.
100271 By one approach, these teachings will also accommodate configuring
such a kiosk
to include one or more readers that operably couple to the aforementioned
control circuit. By
one approach, such a reader can comprise a magnetic strip reader to thereby
facilitate reading,
for example the encoded data on a frequent-purchaser/loyalty card as issued
and maintained by
the retail venue that hosts the kiosk. As another example in these regards,
but again without
intending any limitations in these regards, such a reader can comprise a radio-
frequency
identification (RFID) tag reader to read one or more RFID tags as may be
carried by the
consumer and utilized for identification, credit, debit, and/or other consumer-
interaction
transactions and experiences.
100281 If desired, such a kiosk can also be configured to solicit and
gather permission-
based consumer information (either via direct entry from the consumer and/or
as inferred from
observed consumer behaviors). Such information can be stored or conveyed to a
remote location
and in any event can serve to inform improved consumer relationships,
marketing, and consumer
bonding services.
100291 If desired, this kiosk can comprise a substantially stand-alone
platform. If
desired, however, this kiosk can be configured to interact locally or remotely
with other
resources, servers, and entities. This might comprise, for example, operably
coupling the control
circuit to a local area wireless interface (such as but not limited to a
Bluetooth-compatible
interface), a so-called WIFI interface (supporting one or more 802.11(x)-
compatible protocols),
or the like. So configured, the control circuit could communicate with, for
example, a Bluetooth
or WIFI-enabled Smartphone, personal digital assistant, laptop computer,
tablet computer, or the
like as carried and utilized by a consumer who is otherwise interacting with
the kiosk.
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100301 Along these same lines, the control circuit can operably couple to
one or more
other kinds of network interfaces. So configured, the kiosk could have access
to, for example, an
extranet such as the Internet. By another approach, in lieu of the foregoing
or in combination
therewith, such a network interface could permit the control circuit of the
kiosk to interact with
one or more in-facility servers, databases, or other network elements as
comprise a part of a
private network serving the retail venue that hosts the kiosk. Generally
speaking, such a kiosk
could be configured to operate in a stand-alone mode or could tie-in as
desired with any number
of other services including, for example, retail media networks and other out-
of-home network.
[00311 Such a kiosk can also be configured to leverage any available
location-based
information and services (obtained via, for example, FourSquare, Loopt, mesh
networks, the
consumer's location-capable telephony device, or the like). Such information
could serve, for
example, to further influence the particular substantive information being
provided to specific or
general customers as a function of geographic location.
100321 Referring now to FIG. 2, such a kiosk can comprise an integral or
multi-part
housing to contain and otherwise support the aforementioned components. As
noted earlier, the
display for such a kiosk can be oriented with its longer dimension being
vertically positioned if
desired. Also as noted earlier, such a kiosk can comprise a plurality of
displays, if desired. In
the particular illustrative example shown, and without intending any
limitations in these regards,
such a kiosk can be configured to accommodate one or more consumer-interaction
stations (with
three such stations being shown in FIG. 2). In this illustrative example, a
vending area is
positioned beneath each primary display to permit providing vendible items to
a consumer at that
particular station. A card reader is disposed between that vending area and
each display to
permit, for example, reading a consumer's loyalty card or the like. This
illustrative example also
depicts cameras located above each display and being oriented to include the
consumer who
occupies that respective station area.
[00331 By one approach, if desired, such a kiosk housing can include one
or more shelf
areas. In this particular illustrative example, shelf areas are located on
either side of each of the
displays. These shelf areas can serve to stock and present one or more items
that the consumer
can select for later purchase.
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[0034] Such a kiosk housing can be comprised of any suitable material or
materials
including various metals, plastics, and natural materials such as wood or the
like. The
dimensions of the kiosk can be selected to occupy as little or as much space
as may be
appropriate to suit the needs and/or opportunities as tend to characterize a
given application
setting.
[0035] As noted earlier, the display for such kiosk can present varying
kinds of content.
This content can be identical at a given moment in time for each display (for
example, when each
display is presenting content intended to attract a consumer to the kiosk). It
is also possible for
each display to be presenting different content. This can be particularly
appropriate, for
example, when a different consumer is present at each of the consumer-
interaction stations.
[0036] As but one simple example in these regards, and referring
momentarily to FIG. 3,
such a display can present the image of a person and/or an avatar of choice to
engage and
otherwise interact with a consumer in an intuitive and natural way. Other
graphic content can be
utilized as appropriate to facilitate other purposes. For example, in the
simple example shown, a
downward-oriented arrow in the lower right-hand corner can serve to direct the
consumer's
attention to the loyalty-card reader that is disposed beneath the display
proximal that area.
[00371 Also as noted above, one or more of these displays can comprise a
touch-screen
display. As a simple illustrative example in these regards, and referring now
momentarily to
FIG. 4, such a touch-screen display can serve to permit a consumer to
intuitively select from
amongst a plurality of choices. For example, in FIG. 4 the consumer can choose
between Option
A and Option B by simply touching the display in the corresponding area of the
display.
[00381 As noted above, such a kiosk can be located, if desired, within a
retail venue as
generally illustrated in FIG. 5. The kiosk may, or may not, contain content
and otherwise serve
the purposes of a sponsor that is the same as, or different than, the operator
of the retail venue.
For example, the retail venue may be operated by a grocery-store operator
whereas the kiosk is
sponsored by, at least primarily, a manufacturer of one or more grocery items.
It is also possible
for the kiosk to be co-sponsored by both such a manufacturer and a retail-
venue operator as
desired. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that these teachings can be
applied in non-
traditional settings other than retail venues. Possible alternative venues
comprise, but are not
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limited to, travel stations and depots (such as airports, bus stations and bus
stops, train stations,
and so forth.)
(00391 By one approach, such a kiosk can be located away from the primary
display of
the venue's items that are offered for sale. This might comprise locating the
kiosk, for example,
near the front of the store (for example, proximal to a service desk or the
like). These teachings
will accommodate other locations as well, however. For example, in lieu of the
foregoing or in
combination therewith, such a kiosk can be located in the primary product
display areas (for
example, either presented in front of or otherwise integrally within shelving
units) or as an end-
cap display.
(00401 So configured, such a kiosk can be configured to carry out any of
a number of
useful consumer-experience interactions. Some illustrative examples will now
be provided.
Those skilled in the art will understand that these examples are not intended
to suggest
limitations in these regards by their specificity or details.
[00411 Such a kiosk can be configured to operate in an attraction mode in
the absence of
any consumers having presented themselves at one or more aforementioned
stations. This can
comprise presenting graphic content via the display, audio content, or both.
The rendered
information can be, for example, general information intended to attract the
eye and/or ear of
passers-by and bearing substantive content likely to engage the curiosity or
interest of such
passers-by. Such content can be looped to permit appropriate repetition of the
content unless and
until the interest of the consumer is engaged. These teachings will of course
accommodate
having two or more attract loops such that the content can be sequentially or
randomly varied to
thereby perhaps increase the chance of successfully attracting a consumer's
interest.
(00421 There are various ways by which such a kiosk can conclude such an
attract mode
and begin an interaction mode. By one approach, for example, the consumer can
simply touch
the display in order to indicate their presence and interest. By another
approach, the presence of
the consumer can be detected automatically and the corresponding interaction
mode initiated.
[00431 The use of a camera to capture the image of an interested consumer
can be
leveraged, if desired, to permit the automated determination of the consumer's
general age and
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gender. This information, when available, can be utilized to select the
content provided to the
consumer and/or the manner in which that content is delivered. For example, an
adult avatar
may be displayed when interacting with a middle-aged person while an animated
cartoon
character might be utilized when interacting with a child. Such information
can also be utilized
to select specific content to be displayed. For example, demographically-based
offerings can be
automatically selected to match the perceived demographics of the interested
consumer.
100441 Such analytics regarding age and/or gender can also be stored by
the control
circuit and/or forwarded on to a remote server for further analysis as
desired. This, in turn, can
be leveraged to better understand which attraction modes are attracting a
particular demographic,
which optional selections tend to be further investigated by particular
demographic groups, and
so forth. This, in turn, can help to facilitate better future interactions
with consumers and assure
the delivery of desired content by these interested parties.
100451 As noted above, if desired, the aforementioned kiosk can interact
with, for
example a consumer's Smartphone. In this case, the kiosk could, for example,
locate a shopping
list in the consumer's Smartphone and present the consumer with an option of
reviewing recipes
that tend to correspond to items on that shopping list. This could comprise
permitting the
consumer, for example, to select from various groupings of recipes (such as,
but not limited to,
three-ingredient meals, quick meals, healthy meals, and so forth). When the
consumer selects a
particular recipe, these teachings would then accommodate, if desired,
transmitting or otherwise
forwarding that recipe to the consumer's Smartphone or to such other location
(such as a home-
computer address) as might be specified by the consumer.
100461 Upon selecting a particular recipe, the kiosk could then offer to
the consumer the
service of updating the consumer's shopping list to include any missing
ingredients that might be
required to practice the selected recipe.
[0047] These teachings will accommodate other, simpler meal-planning
approaches as
desired. For example, the kiosk can offer the consumer an opportunity to do
recipe searching
without relying upon a pre-provisioned shopping list if desired. Upon
selecting one or more
recipes in this way, the kiosk could again, if desired, forward the
corresponding recipe
information and/or corresponding shopping list to the consumer's platform of
choice.
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100481 Another option, if desired, would be to provide the kiosk
(either integrally or
locally) with a printing capability. This would permit the kiosk to provide
the consumer with a
hard-copy version of the selected recipes and/or shopping list for
corresponding ingredients,
proffered coupons, rebate forms, and so forth.
10049] As suggested above, the kiosk can be provided with a capability
of receiving
information regarding the consumer's belonging to a loyalty program for the
retail venue that
hosts the kiosk. This information, when available, could be utilized to aid in
specifically
identifying the consumer and this, in turn, could be utilized to further
personalize the interaction.
As one simple example in these regards, the purchasing history of this
particular consumer could
be assessed and specific recipes could be suggested that presume the
consumer's interest in such
products and/or their ready availability to the consumer. As another example,
this information
could be utilized to facilitate providing the consumer with corresponding
discount offerings,
rebate offerings, or other promotional opportunities. By one approach, such
promotional
discounts could be automatically added to their loyalty account and to
facilitate their automatic
redemption at the time of checking out. By another approach, such
opportunities could be
wirelessly provided to the consumer's portable electronic device of choice
(such as their
Smartphone) as an electronic coupon that can be redeemed upon checking out.
100501 As noted above, by one approach, the kiosk can be configured to
vend one or
more items to an interested consumer. This can comprise providing the consumer
with one or
more free samples. The particular samples provided, or the number of samples
provided, can be
made dependent, if desired, upon having particular kinds of information
available regarding the
consumer. For example, when the consumer is sufficiently known to the system
(for example,
via their long-standing status as a frequent visitor of the retail venue that
hosts the kiosk) it may
be appropriate to provide higher-grade samples and/or a greater number of
samples to such a
person.
(00511 The samples themselves can be general in nature or can
specifically tie in, for
example, to one or more of the recipes being suggested to a particular
consumer. For example,
when a given recipe calls for a particular ingredient, the kiosk can, while
presenting information
to that consumer about that recipe, also provide that consumer with an
opportunity to have a
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corresponding free sample of that particular ingredient. Upon receiving an
affirmative indication
from the consumer, the kiosk could then immediately automatically vend the
free sample to the
consumer. The consumer could then base subsequent selections and actions upon
a real-time
assessment of that sample.
[00521 Such a kiosk can also serve, in lieu of the foregoing or in
combination therewith,
to distribute (with or without monetary compensation) soft goods such as, but
not limited to,
mobile services, on-line consumer services (such as an Internet-facilitated
food assistant
application, health and wellness services, food pairing services, party and
event planning
services, dieting services, and so forth), and digital media of various kinds
(including but not
limited to audio content, video content, textual content, graphic content, and
so forth). These
teachings can support the foregoing in isolation or, if desired, in
combination with the promotion
and/or sale of one or more (possibly inter-related) consumer products.
[00531 The particular recipes and ingredients suggested of course opens
the opportunity
for cross-merchandising as desired. This might comprise, for example,
permitting two
manufacturers of differing grocery items to present recipes, content, samples,
and the like to
encourage learning about and ultimately purchasing items from both of their
product lines.
[0054j So configured, such a consumer-interaction kiosk can be readily re-
skinned to
better suit a variety of seasons, sales opportunities, and so forth. With this
in mind, such a
capability can be further facilitated by decoupling the presentation layer
from the user interface
to thereby readily enable a relatively fast and simple ability to change and
thereby refresh the
creative content and corresponding digital assets for a given kiosk. Such a
kiosk can be
particularly useful with respect to promotional tie-ins corresponding to so-
called tent-pole events
(such as Super Bowl weekend, Thanksgiving, Independence Day barbeques and
picnics, and so
forth). In particular, the images displayed and the audio sounds rendered can
specifically tie in
thematically with such an event, as can the particular ingredients and/or
recipes being offered.
[00551 If desired, such re-skinning can be temporally based. For example,
the appearance
(and/or content, as desired) of the kiosk can be varied as a function of time
(including time of
day and/or day of the week) to better suit the marketing opportunities
represented by general
consumer differences that might be evident on a predictable temporal basis.
This re-skinning
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capability can also serve to enable broadcasting to a general audience as well
as narrowcasting to
a smaller audience (down to and including a single given consumer).
100561 Such a kiosk can also be configured to offer entertainment to
engage the interest
and imagination of a visiting consumer. This can range from simple promotions
(such as instant-
win sweepstakes) to more-complicated promotions such as recipe-based games and
other
activities. This can include the use of personalized avatars or other
backgrounds or components
of the displayed interaction (customized by the consumer or not as desired),
mobile tagging
(including, for example, QR codes, DataMatrix codes, Microsoft Tags, geo-
tagging, and so
forth), augmented reality, and so forth.
100571 As one specific but non-limiting example in these regards, the
kiosk's camera can
be utilized to capture the consumer's face. This image (perhaps appropriately
and automatically
cropped) can then be combined with other imagery in an entertaining manner.
For example, the
consumer's face can be superimposed on a virtual bobble-head doll with the
doll's head then
being animated in a bobbling manner for the amusement of the viewer. As
another example, and
as perhaps apropos to a Super Bowl weekend tent-pole promotion, the consumer's
face can be
placed within a football helmet for their football team of choice. The
resultant image can then be
displayed, again for the enjoyment of the onlooker. These teachings would also
support
transmitting such images to any destination of choice as identified by the
consumer (such as their
Smartphone, a home or friend's e-mail address, or the like).
100581 If desired, pattern-recognition programming could be utilized to
detect
inappropriate (for example, obscene) gestures or the like when practicing such
functionality.
Upon detecting such content, an appropriate corresponding action could
automatically follow.
This might comprise, for example, questioning whether the consumer in fact
intends to utilize the
captured image as is, or simply halting the process and denying further
display, use, forwarding,
or other manipulation of the captured image.
100591 As alluded to earlier, such a kiosk can also be lightly or tightly
interconnected
with a social network of choice. For example, it might be possible to host the
identity of this
particular kiosk at a site such as Facebook. Interested consumers could then
"friend" the kiosk
and obtain enhanced interaction opportunities available via that social
networking capability. As
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one simple example, a consumer who selects a particular recipe at the kiosk
can have that recipe
posted and rated at either their own Facebook page or at the Facebook page for
the kiosk. As
another example in these regards, contests can be conducted via the social
networking site to
interest the consumer in making repeat visits to the kiosk. For example, one
such opportunity
might comprise asking the kiosk's friends to vote on which of a plurality of
candidate free
samples should in fact be offered at the kiosk at a particular point in time.
Having the
opportunity to vote in this regard and to become interested in and vested in
the outcome can be
both entertaining and engaging to the consumer while also helping to foster
the consumer's
motivation to revisit that particular kiosk and the retail venue that hosts
the kiosk.
[00601 Those skilled in the art will recognize that a wide variety of
modifications,
alterations, and combinations can be made with respect to the above described
embodiments
without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and that such
modifications,
alterations, and combinations are to be viewed as being within the ambit of
the inventive
concept.
100611 As one illustrative example in these regards, such a kiosk can be
configured to
permit a given consumer to arrange to recommend and even reserve a particular
free sample to
one or more friends via corresponding texts, emai Is, tweets, or the like.
Such a recommendation
could include information regarding the location of the kiosk along with a
unique code that the
friend could enter or otherwise present at some future time, either at this
kiosk or another, to
receive that particular sample.
100621 In a related approach, the consumer could be permitted to select a
particular
vendable item and to pay for that item on behalf of their identified friend.
That friend could then,
at some future time and upon presenting themselves at the kiosk, claim that
reserved and pre-
paid item.
100631 As another illustrative example in these regards, a large number
of fielded kiosks
could receive, from a central location, such information as meal-planning
solutions such that all
such fielded kiosks could have the benefit of such information regardless of
their present location
or when last serviced by visiting personnel. All (or specifically targeted)
kiosks could also
receive selection criteria from a remote facility in help individual kiosks
better inform local
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decisions regarding which meal-planning solutions to offer and under what
circumstances
(including geographically-based sensibilities, temporally-based sensibilities,
host-facility-based
sensibilities, retail-channel-based sensibilities, and so forth). Such a
centralized (or at least
networked) architecture could also serve to facilitate regular system
operational health,
predictive maintenance, product inventory monitoring and tracking, and so
forth.
[00641 And as yet a further illustrative example in these regards, the
kiosk's housing can
itself be configured to support flexible reconfigurations to suit various
needs. This can include
adopting a modular approach to the housing to permit a variable number of
consumer interaction
stations to be selectable and supportable, using a flexible shelving approach
to permit on-site
adjustments to support products having different form factors and sizes, and
so forth.
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